The Opposition in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly staged a walk out on Saturday in protest against the alleged attack on two students from the state in the city of Mahendragarh in Haryana, Greater Kashmir reported.

The National Conference and the Congress raised the matter as soon as proceedings in the House started. The National Conference MLA from Khanyar, Ali Mohammad Sagar, said the incident was unfortunate, and accused the government of failing to ensure the safety of students studying outside the state.

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The state government assured the Assembly that it had taken up the matter with the Haryana government and three people had already been arrested in the case. “On the directions of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Principal Secretary (Home) talked to his counterpart,” PTI quoted state Parliamentary Affairs Minister AR Veeri as saying. “Besides the state DGP SP Vaid contacted the DGP of Haryana. So far three persons have been arrested in connection with the assault.”

Budget bill passed

Meanwhile, the Assembly on Saturday passed the Rs 95,667-crore budget for 2018-’19, Greater Kashmir reported, which is 20% more than last year’s budgetary allocation. The budget proposals, which included a Universal Basic Income scheme, had been presented before the House on January 11.

Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu has linked the Appropriation Bill with a number of expenditure reforms, whose objective is to ensure efficient fiscal management putting in place checks and balances.

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The Planning, Development and Monitoring Department would release both revenue and capital budget to all administrative departments within two weeks, Dr Drabu told the House.

The departments in turn will have to release funds to subordinate offices within four weeks of their receipt. If they fail to do it, these funds would be deemed to have been transferred to the intended departments on the dates they ought to have been released, Dr Drabu said. “Planning Development and Monitoring Department shall ensure that all plan allocations to be made in the next fiscal bear proper classification, indicating, name of the work/scheme against detailed Head-115 Works.”